metronome

[frank1]

hi all,
am self-taught and not much good but dearly love my piano.  i am probably around a level 3 or 4 at most.  Am trying to use metronome only it is So BORING.  confused with it tho.  if i set it to 4/4 time what do i do when eighth notes come up?  i know to play faster but how does that work with metronome?  Great site and thanks in advance.
frank

[_achilles_]

Say your song has 4/4 time (look up "time signature" if you don't know what is is), you set your metronome to 4/4.

Now, lets say your song has 2 quarter notes and then 4 eighth notes:
C-C-CDCD
This is what the metronome would be beating to: (x for beat)
X-X-X-X

So, if you compare those to you'll see that all the C's are on the beat (where the x's are). The D's aren't. So for those notes, you want to hit them right in the middle of the X's, making it sound even, like the 8th notes half exactly half as much time in the song as the quarter notes do.
Imagine it like you're clapping your hands in a big motion. When your hands come together, you have the beat and the C is played. When your hands are farthest apart the D is supposed to be played (only for this example).

Sorry if that doesn't make sense, explaining metronomes over the internet is a new field for me 

[nystul]

It sounds like you do not have a very strong foundation in rhythm.  This may be a hazard of being self-taught.  There is a literal/mathematical understanding of rhythm that is pretty simple.  One whole note lasts as long as 2 half notes, or 4 quarter notes, or 8 eighth notes, or 16 sixteenth notes.  Each time you go down a note type, the note is twice as fast.  A dotted note is 50% longer, so while a quarter note lasts as long as 2 eighth notes, a dotted quarter note lasts as long as 3 eighth notes.  A triplet is kind of the opposite of the dot, fitting 3 notes into the space of 2.  So 3 triplet eighth notes lasts as long as a quarter note.

I think you should spend some time with the metronome just counting out loud and clapping or drumming with your hands.  Set the metronome maybe around 60-70 bpm.  That will be a quarter note in a fairly slow piece.  Just count with the metronome: 1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4.  Those would be the beats of each measure in 4/4 time.  Now start with a couple whole notes: clap or drum when you say 1 each measure.  Now half notes: clap or drum on 1 and 3.  Now quarter notes: clap on 1,2,3,4.  Now when you go to eighth notes, you need to *subdivide* each beat into 2 equal parts.  A lot of people count this by saying "and" on the second eighth note.  So you would count "One-and-two-and-three-and-four-and" and clap/drum with each of those.  But you can say or think whatever works to understand and execute 2 evenly spaced claps for every click of the metronome.  Now pick a pattern that uses quarter notes and eighth notes and do that.  For example, quarter note on count 1, two eighth notes on 2, two eighth notes on 3, quarter note on 4.  "One two-and three-and four".  Make up a few patterns like that and try them.  Another thing to practice would be eighth note rest followed by eighth note.  Count "one-and two-and three-and four-and" but rest on the clicks and only clap on the ands.  When you get bored with eighth notes, try splitting each click into 3 equal subdivisions (triplet eighth notes) and then try four (sixteenth notes).  Then make up some more patterns, or try to count and clap a melody from your sheet music.

[quantum]

If you have a metronome that does time signatures you may wish to turn that feature off at first.  Just set it to beat unaccented ticks.  Practice what the previous posters have suggested.  Also practice in 3/4 time so you learn the feel of three in a bar. 


If you wish to use your metronomes time signature function, you should learn about beat accents - as this is most likely what the device will try to accentuate.  Trying to use the metronome set for a time signature yet being unaware of of the placement of beat accents could potentially be confusing.

[danhuyle]

Play beginner books with metornome and get good at it. I didn't play with the metronome in my first 9 years learning piano.

Accenting the second note of the quaver is challenging. Since we're inclined to accent with the metronome beat to make sure we're with it.

Count 1& 2& 3& 4&? It's the same value in the end whether it's 1&2&3&4& or 1234. Counting with "and" helps to even the quaver, like training wheels on a bike. Hope that makes sense.

[frank1]

Thanks to all who replied about the metronome.  Although must admit I am still very confused with all of it.  I may try going without the metronome for awhile.  Again - thanks much.
Frank

[nickadams]

Thanks to all who replied about the metronome.  Although must admit I am still very confused with all of it.  I may try going without the metronome for awhile.  Again - thanks much.
Frank

lol @ blatantly disregarding everyone's advice

[nystul]

Well the metronome just clicks on each beat.  That is not very confusing.  Even when the metronome is off, you need to have an internal pulse and understand where each note should be in relation to the beat, or your music will not flow.